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Transportation services return to normal

After nearly three weeks of disruption due to the general strike called by the seven opposition parties, vehicular movement resumed along major highways around the country from Wednesday.

Officials at the traffic police post at Nagdhunga said 113 passenger buses left Kathmandu for districts until 2:00 p.m. today while few trucks and microbuses were also seen on the highway.

A number of buses and cargo trucks entered the capital from western and eastern districts, they said and informed the traffic, however, could not fully resume as the highway blockade called by the Maoists was still in place until morning.

The CPN (Maoist) in a statement this afternoon announced to call off the blockade in the Kathmandu Valley and the highways around the country until Friday.

In the capital, vehicular traffic was normal despite reports of fuel shortage. There were very few public buses and micro-buses on Tuesday but the transportation returned to normal from today.

Meanwhile, transportation services resumed in the mid-western district of Dang from today after weeks of halt due to obstructions created by the Maoists. Reports said vehicles started plying on highways after the rebels cleared the roadblocks they had placed at different places.

Vehicular movement resumed in the east-west highway as well, reports said.

However, vehicular traffic could not resume along the Arniko Highway today. The highway that links the Kathmandu Valley to Dolakha, Sindhupalchowk, Kavre and Ramechhap districts could not open because of the Maoist blockade, officials at the Arniko Highway Bus Entrepreneurs Committee said.

“There was Maoist blockade till morning so buses could not ply on the highway. Transportation will resume from tomorrow,” Makar Shrestha of the Committee informed Nepalnews, adding that lengthy disruption in services has caused losses worth tens of millions of rupees. nepalnews.com.mk Apr 26 06